


Getting Through This Together

by noisey_burlesque_peach



Series: Dad Spencer Reid [1]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Angst, BAMF Spencer Reid, Feelings, Kid Fic, M/M, Medical Procedures, Mutual Pining, Pining!Derek Morgan, Pining!Spencer Reid, Secrets, Sick Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:42:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23778601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noisey_burlesque_peach/pseuds/noisey_burlesque_peach
Summary: Spencer Reid has been hiding something, or rather someone, from his coworkers. When his daughter unexpectedly falls ill, he may finally have to come clean.
Relationships: Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid, Eventual Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid - Relationship
Series: Dad Spencer Reid [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1730608
Comments: 41
Kudos: 575





	1. Emergencies

**Author's Note:**

> Tw for medical procedures.
> 
> Takes place around season 4.

They’re in the briefing room when Spencer gets a call. Usually he would ignore it, but caller ID showed that it was his daughter’s school calling. 

“Sorry, I have to take this,” He said, standing up and walking out of the room. 

“Spencer Reid,” He answered the phone as soon as he was outside in the bullpen. 

“Mr. Reid, this is the school nurse. Kate’s been complaining of a stomach ache and she has a fever, you have to come pick her up,” she said. 

“Ok, I’ll be right there,” Spencer said, gathering his things. “What do you think it is, a bug, the flu?”

“In my professional opinion she shows all the signs of appendicitis. You should bring her to the hospital when you pick her up.” Spencer’s heart rate picked up. Appendicitis? She hadn’t been complaining of any pain before school.

“Will do. Tell her I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Spencer hung up and rushed back into the briefing room. Hotch, who had been talking, stopped when he saw Spencer in the doorway. 

“I have to go, it’s an emergency. I’ll call you as soon as I can,” He said.

“Wheels up in an hour do you think you’ll make it?” Hotch asked. 

“No, I’m going to have to sit this one out,” Spencer replied.

“Okay. Keep me posted.”

Spencer drove as quickly as the speed limit allowed to his daughter’s school, trying to compose himself along the way. He knew that if Kate saw how nervous he was it would scare her. He had to keep a brave face for his little girl. 

The entire time his mind wouldn’t stop racing. He ran through statistics about mortality rates for children with appendicitis. If she did have it, she would most likely be fine seen as how they caught it quickly and Kate was already in good health. His anxieties seemed to overtake logic however, as he couldn’t keep his mind from straying into “what if”s. 

Finally he was being buzzed into the front doors. He signed in quickly, his handwriting nearly illegible, before nearly bolting down the corridor to the nurse’s office.

The first thing Spencer noticed in the nurse’s office was his daughter laying down on a cot in the back corner. He tried to even out his steps, even though he wanted to rush over to her. 

He nodded to the nurse who sat at her desk as he walked by, taking deep breaths the entire time.

“Hey honey,” he said, sitting down next to Kate and placing a hand on her cheek. “Not feeling good?” 

“My tummy hurts,” She groaned.

“I know. We’re gonna go see the doctor, okay?” 

“Doctor Green?” She asked, perking up a little. She’s always loved her pediatrician, ever since she was a baby. 

“No, we’re gonna see a different doctor. We have to go to the emergency room,” Spencer said, gently sitting her up. 

“I don’t like the emergency room,” she whined. “Don’t make me go.” 

“I know you don’t Kate, but we need to make sure that you’re gonna get better.” Spencer picked her up, supporting her with his left arm while the right one slung her backpack over his shoulder.

He signed Kate out at the main office, then carried her out of the building. Despite the heat of Virginia in September, Kate shivered. Spencer buckled her into her car seat, wrapping the blanket he kept in his car for emergencies around her shaking body. 

The ride to the hospital seemed to take forever. In reality it only lasted twenty minutes, but twenty minutes spent listening to your child cry and groan in pain might as well be twenty years. 

When they reached the hospital Spencer once again picked Kate up and carried her with him, bringing her backpack with them just in case he needed something to occupy her with. 

He signed her in at the front desk and then chose a seat for them. Usually Kate was independent and would want to sit in her own chair to show everyone around her that she was a big girl, but this time she just wanted to curl up in Spencer’s arms.

“Try to rest sweetheart. I have to make a phone call,” Spencer said, stroking her hair gently. She just whimpered in response. 

Spencer picked up his phone and dialed Morgan, hoping he’d pick up. After only one ring he did. 

“Morgan,” came the voice on the other end. 

“Hey Morgan, I know you guys are about to leave but I really need a favor, any chance you can get Hotch to hold off a little?”

“I can try, what do you need?”

“I need you to go to my house and grab a few things, then bring them to me in the ER.”

“Why are you at the ER?” Morgan asked, sounding concerned. 

“I’ll explain when you get here. This isn’t exactly an over the phone conversation,” Spencer said. 

“Okay, what do you need me to grab?”

“In the first bedroom on the right when you go upstairs there’s a pink blanket and an old brown teddy bear. I need those. I also need a few books from the shelf, any books it doesn’t matter. Then I need you to go two doors down into the other bedroom and grab the manila folder on the desk and my glasses. Got it?”

“Yeah, I got it,” Morgan said. 

“The spare key’s under the mat. Take it with you when you leave,” Spencer said.

“Alright, be there soon,”

“Who was that?” Kate asked softly. 

“That was my friend Derek. You’ve never met him before.”

Kate and Spencer were still sitting in the waiting room when Morgan arrived. He looked worried and confused and a little angry. That anger melted away when he saw Spencer with his sick little girl wrapped in his arms. 

“I have everything right here,” he said, setting the bag down by Spencer’s feet. 

“Thank you. I really appreciate this,” he said. 

Kate, who had had her eyes closed opened them and sat up a little to look at Morgan. 

“Who might you be?” Morgan asked, although he was more asking Spencer than her. 

“Kate,” She said weakly.

“My daughter,” Spencer said. ”The school nurse thinks she might have appendicitis. That’s why we’re here.”

Morgan looked incredulous. Spencer knew this day would come soon enough. He wasn’t ashamed to be a father or for people to know he had a child, he was just trying to compartmentalize. He felt that if his daughter didn’t know about his work and his coworkers didn’t know about his daughter, he could keep his personal and professional lives separate. The last thing he wanted was to expose his child to the horrors he saw daily. 

“Shouldn’t you be heading for the airstrip?” Spencer asked.

“Nah, I’m sitting this one out too. You need someone to stay with you. Even though you wouldn’t ask for it.” 

“Hotch’s alright with it?” Spencer asked.

“Yeah, he’s not quite sure what’s going on, but he understands that sometimes things like this happen,” Morgan said. 

“Kate Reid?” A nurse asked, stepping out of the hallway and into the waiting room. 

“That’s us,” Spencer said, standing up, still holding Kate in his arms. 

“Follow me,” the nurse said. 

“I’ll bring your bags,” Morgan said, picking up the duffle of Kate’s stuff, Kate’s backpack, and Spencer’s shoulder bag. 

They followed the nurse back into a room sectioned off by a curtain. Spencer sat her down on the bed, taking off her shoes and placing them on the floor.

“My name is Rebecca, I’m gonna be your nurse,” she said. “Your name’s Kate?” Kate nodded.

“Kate I need you to put this gown on, do you want me or your dad to help you?” The nurse asked. 

“My daddy,” Kate said. Spencer took the gown from Rebecca and brought it over to Kate.

“Just my dad,” she said, looking between the nurse and Morgan. 

“We’ll wait outside,” Rebecca said, taking Morgan by his arm out into the hall. After she was changed Spencer called them back in.

Rebecca checked her out, asking questions and feeling around her stomach. Spencer held her hand the entire time. 

“Okay hon, first we need to get a urine sample, do you need to drink some water so you can go?” Rebecca asked.

“No, I think I can go now,” Kate said. 

“Alright. Is it okay if I take you?” She asked. Kate looked at Spencer hesitantly but nodded. 

“I’ll be right here when you get back sweetheart,” Spencer said, giving her a hug. 

As soon as they left Morgan sat down next to Spencer on the bed. 

“Why didn’t you tell me man?” Morgan asked. 

“It’s complicated.” 

“No it really isn’t. That little girl’s what, seven years old? That means she was born two years before I met you. The whole time I’ve known you you’ve kept this from me.”

“I know it doesn’t make sense but when I started with the BAU I thought that if I could hide my daughter from you all, I could hide her from the unsubs, from everything we deal with. I knew that if I blurred the lines between work and home my job would take over everything. I needed that separation, the ability to turn it all off when I went home.” 

“I get that man, but after all this time we’re family. And family doesn’t hide something like this from each other,” Morgan said, placing a hand on Spencer’s shoulder. 

“How did this all happen?” 

“I met a woman at Caltech. She was dating a friend of mine when we met, but they didn’t last long. Her and I hit it off and eventually we slept together. She dropped out two months later. I didn’t even know she was pregnant until I got the call saying that she died while giving birth and I was responsible for Kate,” Spencer said. 

“How do you manage to be a single parent and work this job?” Morgan asked.

“I have a nanny who cares for her when I’m gone. Other than that I call her every day, sometimes more than once. I try as hard as I can to be a good dad.”

“That little girl adores you Spence. I can see it in the way she looks at you.” 

“I adore her too.”

“Daddy,” Kate said from the doorway. It wasn’t a question, just an acknowledgment. 

“Hey princess, come here,” Spencer said, holding out his arms for Kate to crawl into. 

“We’re gonna have to do an ultrasound on her, but until then we’ll start her on fluids and get her some medicine for her pain. 

“You’re gonna feel a little pinch, you can hold your dad’s hand if you want to,” Rebecca said. Kate squeezed her eyes shut and gripped Spencer’s wrist so hard he swore he heard something pop. 

Kate whimpered at the sharp sting in her arm. She has never been afraid of needles before, but she was so miserable and vulnerable that every sensations was heightened.

“There you go, I’ll get some medicine going through your IV. It’ll make you feel a lot better.” Rebecca readied a syringe to administer the medicine. 

“Another shot?” Kate asked, looking up at Spencer with watery eyes.

“No, there’s no needle in this one. I’m just gonna hook this up to your IV tube. Your arm will feel cold for a second but it won’t hurt,” Rebecca said. 

“The medicine is gonna make you feel a little sleepy, it’s okay if you wanna rest. I’ll wake you up in a little bit for your ultrasound.” Rebecca patted Kate’s head then left them alone. 

“Do you want to lay down? I have your pink blanket and your teddy.” Spencer asked. 

“Will you lay with me?” She asked. 

“Of course sweetheart,” Spencer said, taking off his shoes and swinging his legs up on the bed. 

The two of them got comfortable under Kate’s blanket. She snuggled up close to her father, tucking her head into the crook of his neck. Spencer rubbed a hand up and down her back in an attempt to comfort her. 

She fell asleep quickly, snoring softly and drooling over the front of Spencer’s sweater vest. His heart swelled with many different emotions. He was relieved that Kate was no longer in pain, but still worried about her. Through all of this however he was reminded that the girl sleeping in his arms was the center of his entire universe. 

After Morgan was certain Kate was sleeping soundly, he pulled his chair over to the side of the bed Spencer was facing. 

“You wanna know how I know you’re a good dad?” He asked in a hushed tone. 

“How?” 

“Because I see the way you look at your daughter. You look at her like she’s the only thing in the world that matters. You look at her and I can see in your eyes that you would move heaven and earth for her.”

“I would. When I gained custody of her my mom told me that I have to love her enough for both parents, like she did for me.” 

“If there is one thing she’s never gonna run out of it’s love.” Morgan reached a hand foreword to hold Reid’s. “I’m glad I stayed here with you Spencer.”

“Me too, I know I seem calm, but that’s just for her sake. I’m actually freaking out on the inside. I can’t stand to lose her,” Spencer said, blinking back tears. 

“You’re not gonna lose her,” Morgan reassured him. “Get some rest, I’ll be here when you two wake up.”


	2. The Afternoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did as much research on apendicitis as I could, but remember that I am not doctor so the procedures in this story are probably it 100% accurate.

“Dr. Reid? Dr. Reid?” 

Spencer awoke to a woman calling his name. It took him a moment to realize where he was. He blinked the sleep from his eyes, looking up at her.

“I have to do an ultrasound on your daughter,” She said, “do you mind waking her up?”

“What happened to Rebecca?” Spencer asked. 

“Her shift’s over, I’m Kathy,” she didn’t look up from preparing the ultrasound. “Well, are you going to wake her up?” 

“Yeah, hold on.” Kate was still curled tightly against his chest. 

“Kate, honey, you have to wake up,” he said, stroking her hair gently. She groaned softly, her eyes fluttering open. 

“Daddy?” She asked. 

“Hey sweetheart.”

“Daddy my tummy hurts,” she said, tears running down her face. Seeing her like this made Spencer want to cry too.

“I know, honey, I’m sorry. The doctors and nurses are going to take care of you, but we have to be patient.” Spencer wiped her tears away and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “I have to get up and give your nurse room, but I promise I will be right here.”

Spencer moved to kneel on the floor on the opposite side of the bed as Kathy was on. He held Kate’s hand tightly between both of his, rubbing soothing circles into her knuckles. 

“Okay Kate, I’m gonna do an ultrasound. I have to lift up your gown to see your tummy, is that okay?” Kathy asked.

“Okay,” Kate said. 

“Do you know what an ultrasound is?” Kate shook her head no.

“An ultrasound is how we look inside your tummy. It’s almost like taking a picture of your insides.”

“Like an X-ray?” Kate asked. 

“Kind of, but an X-ray only shows the bones. An ultrasound shows everything else. We use them a lot on pregnant women so we can check on their babies.” Kathy explained.

As Kathy got Kate situated, Spencer’s gaze wandered over to the chair Morgan had been sitting in. He was gone now, probably left while Spencer and Kate slept. Spencer hadn’t expected him to stay the entire time, but part of him wished that he did. 

“I have to put some gel on your tummy so the machine can check you out, it’s gonna be cold but it won’t hurt, okay?” Kate nodded. She winced at the gel but ultimately settled down, still squeezing Spencer’s hand. 

“Alright Kate, I’m going to bring the results to the doctor. She should be in to see you soon,” Kathy said, then checked her watch. “You’ll be able to have more medicine in an hour. Until then why don’t I get dad a washcloth to clean you up with, okay?” 

“Okay,” Kate said.

Spencer cleaned the gel off of Kate’s stomach before tucking her back under the covers. She was no longer actively crying, but a few tears still slipped out every once in a while. 

“Daddy will you read me a story?” Kate asked. 

“Yeah, which one do you want?” Spencer asked, pulling out the picture books Morgan had packed for her. 

“I don’t want one of my books, I want you to read me your book.”

“Are you sure? It’s in Russian. You wouldn’t understand any of it.”

“I like it when you speak other languages Daddy,” She said. 

“Okay princess. Scoot over,” Spencer grabbed his book and sat down next to Kate on the bed. He began reading to her, and although she had no clue what he was saying, Kate listened intently to every word. 

They were only halfway through the first page when they heard a knock on the door. 

“Can I come in?” Morgan asked, peeking his head around the corner. 

“Morgan, I thought you left,” Spencer said, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice. 

“Nah. I went down to the cafeteria for a while when I heard they were doing an ultrasound. I figured Kate would want some privacy,” Morgan said, handing a styrofoam cup of coffee to Spencer. “And Spencer, we’re not at work. You can call me Derek.”

“Well Derek, thank you for giving us privacy. We both appreciate it. Don’t we Kate?”

She nodded, showing a small smile. Usually she didn’t like it when reading time was interrupted, but she seemed to like Morgan a lot, so she didn’t really mind. 

“Do you want to listen to the story?” Kate asked Morgan.

“Sure, which one are we reading?” He asked. 

“Daddy’s reading his Russian book to me,” Kate said.

“Oh yeah? Do you speak Russian?” 

“No, but Daddy said he’d teach me.”

“I will,” Spencer said. “But for now I think we should just read.”

Morgan and Kate listened to Spencer read for nearly an hour. His Russian was almost as good as his English, and though they couldn’t understand him, both his daughter and best friend listened to the soothing, hushed tone of Spencer’s voice.

By the time Kathy came back with the doctor both Morgan and Kate were on the verge of falling asleep.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” The doctor said. “I’m Dr. O’Brien. I’ll be taking care of you today.” 

“Kathy’s going to give you some more medicine right now, you remember what that feels like?” Dr. O’Brien asked. 

Kate nodded her head and held out the arm with the IV in it for Kathy, while grabbing Spencer’s hand with the other. After the medicine had been administered and the saline bag was hooked back up, Kathy left the room. 

“Kate, do you know what your appendix is?” Dr. O’Brien asked. Kate shook her head. 

“Your appendix is an organ around your tummy. Sometimes it gets infected, you’ve had ear infections before, right?” Kate nodded.

“Well like your ears, your appendix can get infected. When it’s infected it hurts, just like your ear does when it’s infected.”

“Your appendix is infected which is why your tummy hurts so much, and to make it stop hurting we’re going to have to do surgery to take your appendix out.”

Kate buried her face in Spencer’s chest, something she’d been doing for as long as either of them could remember when she got scared.

“It’s alright Kate, you’ll be asleep during the surgery, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“Will it hurt?” She asked, her voice muffled by the material of Spencer’s sweater vest. 

“You’ll be a little sore afterwards, but you won’t feel anything during the surgery. And trust me when I say that the pain afterwards won’t be nearly as bad as the pain you’re in now.” Dr. O’Brien said. 

“I don’t wanna do it daddy,” she cried.

“Sweetheart listen to me, if you don’t get the surgery you’re going to keep getting sicker. It will hurt a lot more the longer we wait,” Spencer said.

“Do I have to do it today?” She asked, turning to face Dr. O’Brien. 

“No, we’ll schedule it for first thing tomorrow morning. You’ll have to stay here all night though. Does that sound alright?” 

“Okay,” Kate said, although she was still crying. 

“I’ll leave you to get some rest. Kathy will check in on you again soon,” Dr. O’Brien said. “Dr. Reid, can I talk to you in the hall?”

“Of course. I’ll be right back honey,” Spencer said, detaching himself from Kate and following Dr. O’Brien into the hall. 

“You’re very lucky that you caught this when you did. If you had waited until tomorrow to come in her appendix probably would have ruptured,” The doctor said.

“The school nurse suggested that it could be appendicitis actually. I probably would’ve assumed she had the flu.”

“Well regardless of who noticed, you did everything right,” Dr. O’Brien said. “I’m going to start Kate on antibiotics soon. She can drink clear liquids and try to eat a little bit of she’s hungry, but absolutely no food or drink past midnight. I have a surgical opening tomorrow at seven, does that work?”

“That’s perfect Doctor. Thank you so much for everything,” Spencer said. 

“You’re very welcome,” she replied. “I’ll be back to check on Kate one more time before my shift ends at 5. The night doctor, Dr. Bennett is a close friend of mine, she’ll take good care of your daughter.”

Spencer shook hands with Dr. O’Brien before turning back to the room. 

“One last thing Dr. Reid,” She said, just before he walked away. “Kate is a very brave girl. You must’ve raised her well.”


	3. Getting Closer

After the second round of Medicine Kate fell asleep quickly. For the first time since they had arrived around noon Spencer looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. It was nearly 4:30. 

Morgan had left a little while ago, promising to return after he ran a few errands. 

“You don’t have to stay with us,” Spencer had said. 

“I know that. I want to be here for the two of you.” 

Thinking of that brought a smile to Spencer’s face. Morgan was a good friend. He may never be more than that as Spencer wished he would, but a loyal friend was more than enough.

With Kate sound asleep, Spencer took the opportunity to make some phone calls. First he called Jenna, Kate’s nanny, to let her know that he was in the hospital with Kate, and though she was welcome to visit, Spencer wouldn’t be requiring her services for some time. 

Next he called Hotch, who picked up after two rings. 

“Hotchner.”

“Hey Hotch, it’s Reid.”

“Reid, are you okay? What’s going on?” Hotch asked. 

“I’m alright. Kate has appendicitis, we’re in the hospital right now,” Spencer said. 

“Is she going to be okay?” 

“Yeah, the surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Until then we just have to wait it out.”

“I know how hard this has to be on you. Seeing them in pain, it’s almost like you’re hurt too.”

“If I could I would trade places with her. I would go through what she is over and over again if it meant she wouldn’t have to hurt,” Spencer said, his voice shaking a little. 

“The two of you will get through this. It’s going to be painful, but it’ll be over soon enough,” Hotch said. “Until then, try to stay strong and call me if you need anything.”

“Same goes for you guys. I may not be working the case with you, but I can still consult if you need me to.”

“Will do. Take care Reid.” 

Spencer sat back down in the chair by the bed, watching Kate sleep. He hardly had time to just sit with her, awake or asleep. It seemed like just yesterday he was taking her home from the hospital. At 7lbs 3oz Spencer was so scared he was going to crush her, or drop her, or hurt her in some way by accident. After all, he was only twenty years old. He’d never had to care for a baby before. 

It was hard for a while, Spencer was still going to Caltech at the time and had very little support. He could barely afford daycare or babysitters, and for the first time in his life he struggled to keep up with his schoolwork as he had to spend most of his time caring for Kate.

He figured it out in the end through extensive trial and error. All the sleepless nights in the world wouldn’t be enough for him to regret having his baby girl. 

Spencer chuckled as he thought about those times when he would be sitting in the library working on a paper while holding Kate in one arm. He was twenty but he looked sixteen.

Or when he had to bring her to class if a babysitter cancelled. That didn’t exactly help him make friends. A kid ten years younger than most of the other students working on his third PhD and raising a child on his own made him the envy of his classmates. 

“Spencer?” Morgan asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. 

“Hey, you’re back already.” Spencer said. Maybe it was supposed to be a question but he didn’t phrase it as one. 

“Yeah man, I told you I just had to run a couple errands.” Morgan pulled a second chair over next to Spencer. “How’s she doing?” 

“As far as I can tell she isn’t in pain right now. Hopefully she can sleep through most of the night,” Spencer said, shaking his head and rubbing his face with his hand. 

He’d had cases where he worked nonstop for twenty four hours, slept for five, then did it all again the next day. Yet none of that could compare to the tiredness that ached in every inch of his body and every corner of his mind. Being in the hospital, watching Kate suffer, it drained him of his energy like a balloon that had been popped. 

Morgan seemed to notice that Spencer wasn’t doing great. He reached over to hold his hand. The gesture was friendly, but still made Spencer’s heart race. The two of them found themselves subconsciously leaning together.

“Derek?” Spencer asked, his voice dripping with emotions that even he couldn’t comprehend. 

“Spencer,” Morgan said, leaning in so close that he could feel the other man’s breath on his lips. 

They were so close. Spencer had been wanting this for so long, and now all it would take was another inch forward to finally make his dreams a reality. 

“Daddy?” Kate asked. Spencer jumped away from Morgan, pulling his hand back like it had been burned. 

“Yes sweetheart?” Spencer asked, focusing all of his attention on her. He knew that if he as much as glanced back at Morgan right now he wouldn’t be able to regain the control that he barely had a grip on.

“Teddy fell down,” Kate said, pointing to where her bear laid at her dad’s feet. 

Spencer picked him up and laid him back with Kate. She grabbed the bear and pulled him close to her chest, squeezing her arms around him tightly.

“Thank you daddy,” She said.

“You’re welcome princess,” Spencer said. 

“Can I watch cartoons?” Kate asked, just noticing the TV that hung on the wall. 

“I don’t see why not.” Spencer found the remote on the table next to her bed and began flipping through the channels until he came across something that Kate was satisfied with. 

“Spongebob, good choice,” Morgan said.

“You like Spongebob?” Kate asked, her eyes going wide. 

“I love Spongebob. It’s my favorite show.”

“Daddy, Derek likes Spongebob too!” 

“Really? I can’t wait to tell everyone at work,” Spencer teased.

“Go ahead. I’m not ashamed,” Morgan said. His words held a deeper meaning than what he said. One that only Spencer understood. He’s not ashamed.

“Daddy, my tummy feels a lot better. Can we go home now?” Kate asked.

“I’m sorry Kate, but we can’t,” Spencer said, taking her hand in his.

“But I’m better now.”

“No honey, you’re not. The medicine is making you feel better, but you’re still sick.” 

“I promise I’m better daddy. I wanna go home,” She whined. 

“You know Kate, your dad likes to pretend he’s okay when he’s not too sometimes,” Morgan said. Spencer shot him a glance that meant “stop”, but Morgan ignored it. 

“Sometimes he comes into work after he’s gotten hurt or been sick, and he tells all of us that he’s fine, but he ends up getting even more hurt and having to stay out for longer.” 

“Really?” Kate asked.

“Really,” Morgan said. “If you went home now Kate, you would just get sicker, and then you’d have to stay in the hospital longer.” 

That made her pause to think. Spencer could see the wheels in her head turning as she decided what to say next. 

“Okay,” She said after a minute. “I’ll stay.”

Spencer had to physically stop his jaw from dropping. He was impressed with Morgan. How had he known that would work?

Morgan gave him a smug look that made his heart ache. These feelings that he had were dangerous, and if something wasn’t done about them soon, he didn’t even want to know what would happen.


	4. Revelations

Kate fell back asleep after her third round of medicine. This time she was given some antibiotics as well. By then it was almost midnight, and Spencer who never liked to sit for a long time, especially when he was nervous, was getting antsy.

He was pacing the room his mind racing. Morgan watched him walk back and forth, losing count of how many times he repeated the action. When Spencer got like this it was hard for Morgan to stick to the “no profiling your teammates” rule.

“Alright, you’re gonna wear a hole in the floor. Let’s go for a walk,” Morgan said, standing up.

“I can’t leave Kate,” Spencer said. “What if she wakes up.”

“Five minutes Spencer. We’ll walk outside, take a breath, then come back. I doubt she’ll even know we’re gone.”

“Okay,” Spencer agreed after a moment. 

Morgan took Spencer by the hand, leading him out of the room. He was doing that a lot lately. Not that Spencer was complaining, every time Morgan touched him, however small and insignificant it may seem, set Spencer’s nerves on fire.

The two of them just stood there for a moment, neither one saying anything. The silence was peaceful, but thick with all of the thoughts that were left unsaid. It was Morgan who broke the silence in the end.

“Do you think I’d make a good dad?” He asked. 

Spencer was taken aback by that. He looked over, studying his friend’s face to see if he was joking. If he was, he was hiding it well. 

“My mom keeps bugging me about giving her grandkids. Do you think I’m ready?”

“That’s something you have to answer for yourself,” Spencer said. “I wasn’t ready when Kate was born. I had to learn as I went along. I didn’t have a job, I was still in school, and the only person I had to help me was my paranoid schizophrenic mother. As far as I’m concerned you’re already more prepared than I was.”

They fell back into silence as both of the men contemplated what was just said.

“Kate saved my life,” Spencer said quietly. “I don’t mean that figuratively. If I didn’t have Kate I may not be here today.”

“What happened?” 

“Remember Tobias Hankle?“

“Of course,” Morgan said. “Man kidnaps and tortures my best friend, I’m gonna remember him.”

“Well he kept me drugged up for days. After a while I became dependent on the dilaudid. When I shot Hankle, I-“ he cut himself off, feeling a lump forming in his throat.

“Hey, you know you can tell me anything,” Morgan said, sliding his hand up Spencer’s arm to rest on his shoulder. 

“I almost took the rest of the dilaudid with me. If I didn’t have Kate I know I would have.”

“But you didn’t. That’s what matters,” Morgan said. “You can’t spend your life wondering what would’ve happened. You’re here with her, you have to focus on that.”

Spencer turned to face Morgan, searching his face for any indication that he didn’t want Spencer to kiss him. All Spencer saw was affection. 

It was now or never, Spencer decided. He was standing in the dark outside the emergency room near the ambulance bay, staring at his best friend. The flashing red and blue lights from the ambulances illuminated their faces. 

Morgan looked right in this light. What did that say about the two of them? They were so used to being in danger that Morgan looked natural in ambulance lights.

Looking at him brought back years of emotions he hadn’t known he’d been holding back. Every time they were bathed in this type of light someone was in danger, one of them, a victim, an unsub. Every time they were bathed in this light Spencer got emotional.

Now he was calm. He was looking into the eyes of the man he had been in love with for years and he didn’t see any fear or distress. He saw love.

And then they were kissing. Spencer couldn’t be sure who had initiated it, but damn it felt good. Morgan ran his hands through Spencer’s hair fervently, tugging gently and driving Spencer absolutely wild.

“Derek,” he groaned into the kiss. “Fuck, Derek.”

“Even when I’m kissing you, you can’t shut up,” Morgan said, pulling away. “C’mon, lets go back to the room.” 

Spencer nodded, still trying to catch his breath. 

“That was-“ he said, unsure how to end that sentence.

“Yeah. It was.”

Kate was still sleeping when they got back to her room. She hadn’t even noticed that her father had left for a few minutes. He sat next to her on the bed, pressing his lips to her forehead to check her temperature. She still felt warmer than she should’ve been. 

Spencer sighed to himself.

“So, are we gonna talk about what just happened?” Morgan asked after a while. 

“Tomorrow,” Spencer replied. Morgan looked at his watch and smirked.

“12:13. It is tomorrow.” 

“Okay. I guess I should go first then.” Spencer took a deep breath to stabilize himself. “Derek, I’ve been in love with you for years. Since I met you really. And I understand if you don’t feel the same way, I wouldn’tn expect you to, but tonight when you kissed me, I fell in love with you all over again.” 

Morgan was silent for a few minutes. That set Spencer on edge. He expected him to say something, something like “I’m sorry Spencer, but I don’t feel the same way”.

Instead of speaking, Morgan stood up from his chair and walked over to stand between Spencer’s legs. 

“Are you telling me that I could’ve been kissing you this entire time?” Morgan asked. “You’re gonna have to make it up to me Spencer.”

“You mean, you feel the same?” 

“Of course I do. I’m crazy about you Spencer.”

Spencer stood up abruptly, taking Morgan’s face between his hands to kiss him again. Morgan was caught off guard, but kissed back. 

“I’ve been waiting for this for so long,” Spencer mumbled between kisses. 

“Me too Spence, me too,” Morgan groaned. “After this is over I’m gonna take you home and I’m gonna give it to you so good.”

“Derek! Not in front of Kate!” Spencer said, smacking his chest lightly. 

“Oh come on. She’s asleep. It’s not like she’d understand anyways,” Morgan said, kissing Spencer again. For a second Spencer allowed himself to get lost in the kiss.

“Ugh, no. I can’t do this in front of my daughter.” Spencer pushed Morgan away halfheartedly. 

“What do you mean ‘this’? We’re just kissing. Don’t tell me Kate’s never seen people kiss before.”

“She’s never seen her dad kiss before and I’d like to keep it that way,” Spencer said, wiping a hand over his face and turning his back on Morgan. The other man chuckled and wrapped his arms around Spencer from behind.

“You mean she’s never met any of your partners?” 

“The last person I was with was her mom,” Spencer said.

“Spencer Reid, do you mean to tell me you haven’t had sex in over eight years?” Morgan asked, his tone now completely serious.

“Watch it! She could hear,” Spencer admonished. “Besides, I’ve been busy. I haven’t had time for a relationship.”

“Oh the things I’m gonna do to you.” Morgan brushed his hair out of the way to kiss his neck.

“Okay, enough. I’m ending this now before I lose control. I need to focus on my daughter, and you’re distracting me.” Spencer pushed Morgan away and taking a few steps to put distance between them.

“Fine. I can still find ways to distract you from a distance though.”

“I’ve managed to control myself for six years, I think I can stand another day or two,” Spencer said.

“We’ll see about that.”


	5. In The Morning

_A knock on the door pulled Spencer’s attention away from the Professor who was lecturing._

_A police officer stepped inside, not waiting to be let in._

_“Officer, what seems to be the problem?” She asked._

_“I’m looking for a Spencer Reid,” the Officer said._

_Spencer raised his eyebrows. He was looking for him? He hadn’t done anything wrong, at least, he didn’t think he had._

_“I’m here,” Spencer said, still confused._

_“Mind taking a ride with me son?” The Officer asked._

_“Am I under arrest Officer,” Spencer glanced down at his name badge. “Davis?” He asked, once they were outside the lecture hall._

_“No, no you’re not in any trouble,” Officer Davis said. “I was sent out here to bring you to the hospital. They’ve been trying to call you but you didn’t answer.”_

_“I keep my phone off during lectures,” Spencer took out his phone and looked at it. He had dozens of missed calls._

_“Is something wrong with my mother?” Spencer asked, fear rising in his chest._

_“No, your mom’s fine as far as I know.”_

_“Then why are you bringing me to the hospital?” Spencer was even more confused now._

_“They’ll explain it to you when we get there,” Officer Davis said._

_Once they were at the hospital Officer Davis lead Spencer in. They walked right past the ER and seemed to be heading towards the labor and delivery unit. That confused Spencer even further._

_“Dr. Reid?” A nurse asked when they entered the unit._

_“Yes, that’s me.”_

_“My name’s Jackie, will you come with me? I’m afraid we have some unfortunate news.”_

_Spencer’s heart raced as he followed her into an empty room._

_“Dr. Reid, I’m so sorry to have to tell you this but Carol Reeves died this morning,” she said._

_“Carol?” Carol had been a classmate of Spencer’s but she had dropped out months ago. The two of them were friends and even slept together a few times, but he hadn’t heard from her since she dropped out._

_“What happened?” Spencer asked._

_“She passed as a result of untreated pre eclampsia. It’s likely she didn’t even know she had it.”_

_“Pre eclampsia? She was pregnant?”_

_“You didn’t know?” Jackie asked, furrowing her brow._

_“No, I haven’t spoken to her in months,” Spencer said. “Is the baby okay?”_

_“Yes, she’s fine. And according to Ms. Reeves, she’s yours.” Jackie gave him a small smile._

_Spencer’s breath caught in his throat. His? How could she be his? She couldn’t— oh no. He and Carol had slept together more than once. They were usually careful but one night right before finals they had both had a little too much to drink. Spencer hadn’t even realized until the next morning that they forgot the condom._

_Carol had assured him that it was alright, that one time wasn’t going to matter. He should’ve known better than that. Now she was dead and he was a father._

_“Can we do a DNA test? To make sure she’s mine?” Spencer asked quietly._

_“Of course, give me a minute,” she left the room only to come back a moment later with a cotton swab and a test tube._

_“Open up,” She said. She swabbed the inside of Spencer’s cheek gently._

_“This will take a couple hours. Do you want to see your baby until then?”_

_“I don’t know. Maybe I shouldn’t.” Spencer said._

_“Why not?”_

_“What if I fall in love with her and it turns out she’s not mine?”_

_“If you’re having second thoughts we don’t have to do the test. I have no reason to believe she isn’t yours.”_

_“Maybe we should just wait on the test,” Spencer said. “Can I see her?”_

_Spencer couldn’t stop his leg from shaking as he waited for Jackie to come back with his daughter. It was a nervous tick that he had developed as a child. His daughter. It sounded so strange, even just in his head. Spencer never thought he’d have kids, especially not at twenty._

_“Dr. Reid?” Jackie asked._

_Spencer looked up to see her carrying a small pink bundle. All of the panic left him immediately as he stared at the tiny creature wrapped in layers of blankets._

_“Can I hold her?” Spencer asked, his voice going soft._

_“Of course.” Jackie placed her in Spencer’s arms. He looked down at his baby and suddenly everything changed. From that moment he knew that this little girl would mean everything to him. His heart felt like it was going to burst from all the love he was feeling._

_“Does she have a name?” Spencer asked._

_“No, Carol didn’t have the chance. It’s up to you,” Jackie said. “Do you have any ideas?”_

_“I’ve never even thought about it,” Spencer said. “Do you have any kids?”_

_“Two boys.”_

_“If you had a girl what would you name her?” Spencer asked._

_“I’ve always liked Jessica. Or Kate,” Jackie said._

_“Kate. I like that,” Spencer said. “Hi Kate.”_

Spencer was the first to wake up in the morning. It was about 5:30 and the sun had not yet begun to rise. Kate and Morgan were both still sleeping soundly, Kate against Spencer’s chest and Morgan in the empty bed on the other side of the room.

It was quiet now, the only sounds coming from the halls was the chatter of nurses and soft whirring of machinery.

Spencer rolled onto his back, looking up at the ceiling above him. He was still wearing his slacks, button up and sweater vest which when coupled with the heat of his feverish daughter sleeping next to him made him very sweaty.

He needed a shower. Maybe he could take one quickly before anyone noticed. He had his go bag after all. Yes, that’s what he would do. Shower quickly and be out before Kate realized he was gone.

Spencer made his way into the bathroom that was connected to the room. He turned on the shower, undressing quickly and hopping in, trying to be efficient. He closed his eyes and lost himself momentarily in the comfort of the water flowing over his tense muscles. He didn’t hear the bathroom door open over the sound of the shower.

“Want some company in there?” Morgan asked. Spencer nearly fell over in surprise.

“Derek!” He admonished. “What are you doing in here?!”

“Had to pee pretty boy. And I figured I’m allowed to look now.”

“Derek Morgan you are a menace,” Spencer groaned halfheartedly.

“You know you love me,” He laughed. “Seriously though, want some company?”

“We can’t. What if Kate wakes up and comes in. She would be mentally scarred,” Spencer said.

“You better hurry up then, ‘cause I’m goin crazy trying not to kiss you.”

“Okay, I’m almost done.”

“Fine. But if you’re not out in five minutes I’m coming in,” Morgan said, then left the bathroom.

Spencer couldn’t stop the grin from spreading on his face. God, Morgan was going to be the death of him.

Spencer finished showering and changed quickly, hoping that Kate would still be sleeping when he returned to the room so he could steal a kiss or two from Morgan.

Luckily she was still snoring away, clinging to her teddy bear now that her father was no longer laying with her.

Morgan was sitting on the bed he had slept in, messing around on his phone. He looked up at Spencer when he opened the door, giving him a bright smile that left Spencer feeling breathless.

“Thirty more seconds and I would’ve been in there with you,” he said. Spencer walked over to him, nudging his legs apart to stand between them.

“I’m pretty sure doing it in a hospital bathroom would be considered indecent exposure,” Spencer said, leaning down to kiss the other man.

“I’d be willing to take that risk for you,” Morgan groaned into the kiss.

“Well I’m not.”

“Ouch. That hurts Spence,” Morgan said. He pulled Spencer down to lay on top of him, grabbing his hips to stable him.

“Derek! The only thing that separates us from dozens of medical professionals who could walk in at any time is a curtain. This is beyond inappropriate.”

“Don’t care. Want you too much,” Morgan said, kissing down Spencer’s neck.

“Ugh,” Spencer whined, his mouth dropping open. “Derek.”

Derek had evidently found a sensitive spot right where Spencer’s neck met his collarbone. He took advantage of this new information, sucking and nipping at the soft skin there.

“Mmm, don’t stop Derek,” Spencer moaned. His hips rolled forward of their own accord.

“Fuck, Spencer,” Morgan said.

“Language!” Spencer scolded. Then he seemed to be brought back to the reality of the situation. “Oh god what am I doing?”

“Want me to answer that?” Morgan teased.

“We should not be making out in a hospital bed. I’m getting up now. Kate’s nurse should be here to check on her soon and I’m not letting her see me like this.”

“C’mon Spence, just a few more minutes,” Morgan pleaded. Some part of Spencer that he usually kept hidden deep inside himself took immense pleasure in making Derek Morgan beg. He pushed that thought away almost as soon as it surfaced. He did not have time to unpack that right now.

“I’m waking my daughter up Derek,” he said, pushing himself back up off the bed. “You better be appropriate.”

“Fine,” Morgan reluctantly agreed.

“Kate, honey,” Spencer said softly, sitting down next to her on the bed. “It’s time to get up.”

“Daddy?” She asked, her eyes fluttering open.

“Hey Princess, how are you feeling?”

“Bad,” she whimpered.

“I’m sorry Kate. Not that much longer now. You’ll feel better soon.” Spencer ran a hand through her hair, cringing as it caught in her tangles.

“How about I give you a bath? You won’t be able to take one for a little while after your surgery.”

“Will you braid my hair after?” She asked.

“Yeah, I can do that. Stay here while I get it going.”

Spencer got up and went back to the bathroom to start the bath. Morgan followed him, watching Spencer arranging everything.

“I’m gonna go get some coffee, want a cup?” Morgan asked.

“Yeah, that’d be great. You know how I take it?”

“More cream and sugar than coffee. You’ve got a sweet tooth baby.” Morgan chuckled.

“It’s not unreasonable for me to want my coffee to taste good,” Spencer defended himself.

“The point of coffee is that it tastes like coffee. I might as well just get you a cup of melted coffee ice cream.”

“I don’t need to take this from a man who watches Spongebob,” Spencer shot back.

“It is a good show!”

“It makes no sense! How does a grill work under water?”

“It’s a show about anthropomorphic sea creatures. It’s not supposed to make sense,” Morgan said, laughing. “You’re adorable, you know that?”

“Stop, I can’t take any compliments from you right now,” Spencer said, shaking his head.

“Did I hit a nerve gorgeous?” Spencer’s face turned bright red.

“Oh wow. You have a thing for praise, don’t you?” Morgan asked, no longer teasing.

“Derek, I really don’t have time for this right now.”

“Alright, but don’t think I’m forgetting about this that easily,” Morgan said, giving Spencer a chaste kiss. “Beautiful.”

“Okay, out you go,” Spencer said, pushing Morgan out the bathroom door. “Don’t come back without coffee.”

“Where’s Derek going?” Kate asked when Spencer returned to the room.

“He went to go get some coffee. He’ll be back soon,” Spencer said. “Can you stand or do you want me to carry you?”

“Carry me,” Kate said.

The nurse had taken her off the saline during the night. When Spencer picked her up he was careful of the well that was still in her arm.

Spencer helped her undress, then placed her gently in the tub. Usually Kate liked to do all of this by herself, she had always been independent like her father, but she was tired despite having slept through most of the previous day.

Spencer allowed her as much freedom as he could. She picked out her own outfits, decided how to style her hair (although more often than not Spencer still had to do it for her), and even picked her own extracurricular activities. Anything that she could do alone she was allowed to.

Of course Spencer still helped whenever she needed him to. Nothing made him happier than when Kate came to him when she couldn’t do something by herself.

Kate took her time in the bath. She needed Spencer’s help with her hair, but otherwise he just sat by the tub to keep her company. He even read one of her books to her. She stayed in the water until it got cold, at which time Spencer helped her out and got her dressed in the clean gown that Kathy dropped off.

After she was dressed, Spencer carried her back into the room and set her on the bed. Morgan was back by now, sitting in the chair by the bed.

“Hey Kate. Sleep well?” He asked her. She nodded in response.

“Do you want to watch Spongebob while I do your hair?” Spencer asked her. Once again she only nodded.

Spencer grabbed her brush and a hair tie from her backpack. He sat down on the bed, gesturing for her to sit in his lap. She did so, and Spencer got to work braiding right away.

Her hair was long and golden brown like Spencer’s was. It was also incredibly thick, which caused quite a struggle sometimes. Broken brushes and snapped hair ties were a fixture in Spencer’s life now, especially since Kate had expressed interest in growing it out, after cutting it short a year ago.

Kate has Spencer’s eyes too. Big honey colored puppy dog eyes. All she had to do was flash those eyes at Spencer and he’d give in. He was weak, but it didn’t really bother him.

“You’re lucky you have a dad who can braid hair that well,” Morgan said, once Spencer was finished. “If I’d braided your hair it would be a huge mess.”

“I’ve had a lot of practice,” Spencer said. “You don’t get this good over night.”

“Kate.” Kathy, who was suddenly standing in the doorway with a wheelchair said. “It’s time for your surgery hon.”


	6. The Surgery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that I am not a medical professional, nor have I been through this procedure. This story is an approximation of an appendectomy based on what I could find on the internet. As always I encourage constructive criticism about anything I may have gotten wrong.

_“Dr. Reid?” Jackie asked._

_Spencer looked up from the baby he held in his arms for the first time since she had been placed there. She had dozed off a while ago, but Spencer couldn’t bring himself to put her down._

_“How are you doing?”_

_How was he doing? Spencer wasn’t sure. He was totally overwhelmed yet immeasurably happy at the same time. It was odd, if someone had told Spencer a few months ago that he was going to be a father, he would’ve insisted that he couldn’t, that he wouldn’t be able to care for a baby. Now that he was holding her however, he knew that he would do anything to give her the best life possible._

_“I don’t know,” Spencer answered truthfully. “I don’t have a crib or a car seat or any clothes.”_

_“You’ll figure it out. No parent is completely ready their first time. Hell, I know I wasn’t.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “I have no doubt that you can be a great father. But there’s no shame in asking for help if you need it.”_

“Hey,” Morgan said, sitting down next to Spencer and handing him a fresh cup of coffee.

“Hey,” Spencer replied. He took the coffee gratefully.

“I know you’re nervous, but she’s gonna be alright. She’s in good hands.” Morgan reached out to hold Spencer’s free hand.

“It’s only been a few minutes but it feels like so much longer.”

“I could distract you,” Morgan suggested.

“Okay, yeah,” Spencer said. “But not the way you’re thinking right now. Just talk to me.”

“About what?”

“I don’t know, anything.”

Morgan thought for a moment before he had an idea.

“Wanna hear about how I knew I was in love with you?” Morgan asked. Spencer didn’t respond which he took as a sign to continue.

“Remember Phillip Dowd? The L.D.S.K in Des Plaines?”

“Yeah. Hotch and I were stuck in the ER with him.”

“I was terrified the entire time. All I could think about was the possibility that I was gonna lose you. It was like I was suffocating. I’d seen teammates in danger before, teammates held hostage, and I never felt that way about any of them. That’s when I knew that my feelings for you went past friendship.”

Spencer looked at him, unable to think of anything to say. Morgan had said that he’d been in love with Spencer for a long time, but all these years? How could he not have noticed?

“What about you, when did you realize?” Morgan asked.

“It wasn’t one moment, I mean, I was attracted to you from the moment we met, but the more time we spent together the more I fell for you. I thought it was just a little crush that I would get over, but I didn’t.”

“I’m glad. Otherwise this would be pretty awkward.” Morgan leaned forward, grabbing Spencer’s face with both hands and kissing him.

It was quick and gentle, just enough to reassure Spencer. Morgan wanted to take it further, they both did, but they were sitting in a crowded hospital waiting room.

In the end Spencer’s phone ringing was what caused them to break apart. He looked down at it, silently willing it to shut up. No such luck, as the caller ID showed it was Hotch calling.

“Hey Hotch,” Spencer answered.

“Reid, how are you?” Hotch asked.

“I’m holding in.”

“How’s Kate?”

“She’s in surgery now. It’s been tough but we’ getting through this.” He looked up at Morgan. “Together.”

“Listen, I hate to do this right now but we’re a little stuck. Can I send you and Morgan some files to look at?” Hotch asked.

“Sure. I could use something to occupy myself.”

“Alright. Take care Reid.”

“You too.” Spencer hung up. “Hotch’s going to send some files over for us to look at.”

The case kept them busy for a while. Spencer was able to turn off his anxieties and just work the case, sending text updates to Hotch until a nurse stepped into the waiting room.

“Dr. Reid?” She said. Spencer looked up from his phone. “Kate’s all done. Come with me please.”

The nurse lead them to the post op recovery room where Kate was still out. Morgan stayed outside, giving the two of them some space.

Kate was beginning to regain consciousness slowly. She was still hooked up to various machines that were monitoring her vitals.

“Daddy?” She whined after a couple minutes when she was strong enough to open her eyes.

“Hey sweetheart,” Spencer said gently, reaching out to hold her hand that wasn’t hooked up to anything.

“What happened?” She asked.

“You just had your surgery.”

“I’m better?”

Spencer chuckled.

“Yeah, you’re better now.”

“I’m tired,” she said.

“It’s the medicine you had. It’s making you sleepy.”

They stayed like that for close to an hour. Kate woke up over time, gaining the strength to laugh at some of Spencer’s bad jokes. Once she was fully awake and stable she was brought to an overnight room in the pediatric unit.

“Nurses told me you guys moved up here,” Morgan said from the doorway of the room.

“Derek!” Kate exclaimed.

“Hey kiddo, feeling better?” He asked, stepping over next to the bed where Spencer and Kate sat.

“A little bit,” she replied.

“Good. A couple of days and you’ll be good as new.”

Kate smiled. She was really taking to Morgan. That relieved Spencer. Kate was usually friendly and Spencer didn’t have any reason to believe she wouldn’t like Morgan, but he had been a little worried regardless. After all, no matter how he felt about Morgan, how could he be with someone that his daughter disliked.

As it turned out he didn’t have to worry about that. Kate really liked Morgan, and he was great with her.

“Daddy can Derek read to me?” Kate asked.

“You’ll have to ask him,” Spencer said.

“I’ll read to you, which book do you want?”

They continued like that for the rest of the day. Reading, talking, napping. The doctors encouraged Kate to move around, so Morgan and Spencer took her for walks through the halls and even took her to the little playroom at the center of the pediatrics wing.

By the time Dr. O’Brien came back to check on Kate she was feeling much better aside from the pain of the incision that was being steadily treated with medication.

“Hi Kate,” Dr. O’Brien said, standing next to her bed and looking over her chart for the newest information from her last vitals check.

“You seem to be doing well. Are you having any pain?”

“A little. Around the bandage,” Kate said.

“Okay, that’s to be expected,” Dr. O’Brien said. “As long as everything stays consistent you should be able to go home in the morning. Dr. Reid I’ll send you home with a booklet on how to care for her, and I’ll call in a prescription for her pain medication.”

“Thank you so much Doctor. We really appreciate everything you’ve done for us, right Kate?” Spencer said. Kate nodded.

“Well you have been a model patient Kate. You’re very brave, and very lucky to have a dad who cares about you so much. Get some rest for now, I’ll be back to check on you in a few hours.”

“You heard the Doctor. Time for bed,” Spencer said once Dr. O’Brien had left the room. “Go In, get under the covers.”

“Will you sing me a song daddy?” Kate asked, once she was tucked in.

“Oh I don’t know.” Spencer looked over at Derek. He sang to Kate almost every night, but never in front of anyone else. Never in front of Derek.

“Go ahead, I won’t make fun,” Morgan said as if he read Spencer’s mind. He sounded so genuine that Spencer couldn’t refuse.

“Okay. What do you want me to sing?”

“My favorite song,” Kate said, leaning against her father’s side and yawning.

“Okay,” Spencer said. He took a deep breath and began.

“Hey Jude, don’t make it bad. Take a sad song, and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart, then you can start to make it better,” He sang.

Spencer’s voice was a little rough around the edges, but the way he sang from his heart made Morgan melt. It was so purely Spencer that he couldn’t help but close his eyes and loose himself in the melody.

By the time Spencer had finished the song Kate was asleep. He gently maneuvered her to lay against the pillows.

Morgan opened his eyes and caught Spencer’s gaze, gesturing for Spencer to join him on the sofa across from Kate’s bed.

Spencer sat down next to him, leaving a reasonable amount of space between them. Morgan rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around Spencer’s shoulders, pulling him until they were cuddled up together.

“You amaze me pretty boy,” Morgan said, running his fingers through Spencer’s long hair.

“Derek.” Spencer warned, although his tone was full of affection.

“I mean it. You’re a great profiler, a great dad, a great kisser. You’re gorgeous and smart and funny. You amaze me.”

Spencer cuddled deeper into Morgan. His face was heating up and he couldn’t think of anything to say.

“You’re sexy too,” Morgan added to get a reaction out of him.

“Derek, this is not the place for this,” Spencer said, trying to sound stern, but failing miserably.

“You really do like being praised,” Morgan said, although more to himself than Spencer. “I was just guessing this morning.”

“Derek, please stop,” Spencer mumbled, hiding his face in the crook of Morgan’s neck.

“You know you can talk to me about it.”

Spencer sighed. He wasn’t getting out of this. Morgan was going to keep pushing him until they talked about it.

“All my life I’ve been told that I’m smart. My mom, my dad, teachers, doctors, everyone told me I was smart.”

“You are Spence,” Morgan said.

“That was it though. I was complimented on my brain, never anything else. Now when you call me pretty or sexy...” he trailed off.

“It’s new for you,” Morgan finished. “You got used to being called smart but you never learned how to take a compliment about your appearance.”

“When you say stuff like that to me it gets me all worked up. You make me blush.”

“Well you’re gonna have to get used to it beautiful because I’m not stopping,” Morgan said. “I will make it my life’s mission to tell you every single day just how attractive you are.”

“Just kiss me already,” Spencer said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second to last chapter!


	7. Surprise

_“Alright Dr. Reid. You’re all set to take her home,” Jackie said._

_“Thank you so much Jackie.” Spencer sighed._

_“How are you getting home?”_

_“Carol’s parents are going to pick me up. They’re also letting me have all of the baby supplies Carol had.”_

_“Good,” Jackie said with a smile._

_Spencer was about to leave when Jackie called his name out._

_“Spencer?”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“I know you said you didn’t want to run the DNA test, but I know how hard not knowing can be, so I ran it anyway,” she said._

_“And? What are the results?” Spencer asked, now nervous that he wouldn’t be able to take Kate with him after all._

_“She’s yours. No doubt about it,” Jackie said._

“Alright, ready to go home?” Spencer asked Kate. It was the morning after her surgery and she had woken up a few hours prior, eager to leave the hospital.

“Yeah!” Kate exclaimed.

“Take these into the bathroom and get changed.” Spencer handed her a pile of clean clothes and ushered her off to get dressed.

“You never told me what’s in the folder,” Morgan said when Spencer pulled out the manila folder that Morgan had brought him.

“Well it’s not an exciting folder. It’s all of Kate’s information, birth certificate, social security card, insurance card. You know, boring stuff,” Spencer said.

He opened the folder, flipping through the contents until he came across something he didn’t remember putting in.

“What is it?” Morgan asked, seeing the shift in Spencer’s expression.

Spencer pulled out a photograph. It was him in the hospital with Kate right after she was born. God, he looked so young then. Not that he didn’t look young now, but he looked particularly young in the photo.

“Oh Spence you were a baby,” Morgan cooed. “A baby with a baby.”

“I can’t believe seven years have passed. It’s all going so fast,” Spencer mused to himself. “It feels like just yesterday I was taking her home.”

“Do you miss taking care of a baby?” Morgan asked.

“A little bit. I love Kate and I love that she’s old enough now that we can do activities together and have conversations, but I also miss the times where she needed me.”

“She still needs you Spence. Maybe not as much, but she does still need you.”

“You’re right,” Spencer said.

Kate exited the bathroom, now dressed in her own clothes. She seemed much better now, aside from the occasional pain where her stitches were.

“Can we go home now?” She asked.

“Of course,” Spencer said. “Come help me pack up your things.”

Morgan and Spencer had both driven to the hospital separately, so they took their own cars back to Spencer’s place. Morgan gave Spencer a peck on the cheek to say goodbye after walking him and Kate back to their car.

“I’ll see you in a little bit,” he said.

Kate was back to her usual self now, chatting up a storm in the backseat.

“Daddy, do you love Derek?” Kate asked. Spencer had to stop himself from turning around completely to face her.

“Why do you ask sweetheart?”

“He kissed you when we left the hospital.”

There was no use lying to her now. She was more perceptive than Spencer sometimes realized.

“Yes. I am in love with Derek.”

Kate seemed to think about that for a moment, as she went silent, staring ahead at her dad.

“Is Derek going to live with us?” She asked.

Spencer wasn’t sure how to answer that. Was he? This thing between them was new officially, but the two of them had been best friends for years. They’d been in love for years.

“Maybe someday,” Spencer replied after a moment. “But not right now.”

They pulled up to Spencer’s house ten minutes later. Derek’s car was already there, along with a few others that Spencer recognized. What were they doing here?

Spencer grabbed the bags and held Kate’s hand as she walked into the house. She was still a little shaky from the medication, but could walk on her own with minimal assistance.

Spencer went to put the key in the door but found it already unlocked. As soon as he opened the door a chorus of voices rang out.

“Surprise!” They all shouted.

The entire team and Morgan were all standing in Spencer’s living room. It had been completely decorated in multi color streamers and balloons and a banner hung in the doorway to the kitchen that read “Welcome Home Kate!” In big block letters.

Spencer looked down at Kate to see her reaction. She was grinning from ear to ear. She didn’t know half of the people there, but regardless she was excited.

“Oh you must be Kate!” Garcia said, kneeling down to her level. “I’m your dad’s very best friend Penelope, but you can call me Auntie.”

“Garcia did you do all of this?” Spencer asked, looking amazed.

“Not alone. Everyone here helped,” She said.

Spencer went around introducing Kate to everyone. Hotch had brought Jack who Kate was eager to play with despite the difference in their ages. After introductions Kate brought Jack up to her room to play, leaving the adults downstairs to talk.

“She seems good Reid,” Hotch said. It was true, from the time they had arrived home all she had wanted to do was go. Spencer had to remind her to slow down, that she couldn’t run around or else she could open her stitches.

“Yeah, she’s feeling a lot better today,” Spencer replied.

“Spencer Reid I cannot believe you kept her from me this entire time. Do you know how much shopping we have to make up for?” Garcia asked.

“I’m sorry guys. I should’ve been more honest with you all. I was just trying to protect her from the job.”

“Well no more excuses. As soon as she is feeling better I’m taking her to the mall,” Garcia said.

“She’d honestly love that,” Spencer admitted.

“Anyone want a drink?” Spencer asked after a while.

He made his way into the kitchen to fetch the drinks. JJ followed, watching him before she spoke.

“She looks just like you, you know,” she said. “Her eyes. They’re identical to yours.”

“I’ve always thought she looked more like her mom,” Spencer replied.

“Morgan told me what happened,” JJ said softly. “Does she know?”

“Yes. I’ve always tried to be honest with her. I don’t know how much she really understands though.”

“That must’ve been a tough conversation.”

“I picked her up from a play date one evening. In the car she asked me why she didn’t have a mommy like her friend did. She was four.”

“I’m so sorry,” JJ said, placing a hand on his forearm.

“It could’ve been worse. She never knew her mother, and I hadn’t seen Carol for six months before she died. We made the best of a difficult situation.”

“You’re so strong Spence. Even when you can’t see it.” JJ pulled Spencer into a hug, the bone crushing kind where all Spencer could do was bury his face in her shoulder.

“Thank you,” he whispered, barely audible.

“If you ever need anything Spence, babysitting, anything, you can call me,” She said.

“You guys need help with the drinks?” Morgan asked from the doorway of the kitchen.

“Yeah, carry these.” Spencer Handed Morgan and JJ both a couple cans of soda to bring into the other room. Morgan stopped Spencer before he followed JJ.

“You good?” He asked.

“Yeah. I’m good,” Spencer replied, planting a kiss on the other man’s cheek.

Morgan knew then that Spencer truly was good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnd we’re done! Don’t worry though, I’ve got a sequel or two coming soon!

**Author's Note:**

> I spent a lot of time in the hospital as a kid, so I’d like to think this is all fairly accurate.


End file.
